10 tips for a more successful essay

I am currently in the midst of grading a batch of first year social science essays. What always impresses me about the essay grading process is that so many of the same mistakes and missteps are made by relatively large proportions of each class.

Not that I expect people to necessarily find or read this, but I thought that I should maybe try to compile a few tips based on some of the most common problems I have encountered while grading essays.

Anyway, here goes.

1 – Though it seems that most of the essays I grade do it, starting one’s essay with a broad, but unsupportable, claim is not a particularly good idea. The person grading your essays know that you don’t really know that ‘Everyone loves X.’ Don’t start your essay by giving the grader a reason to think that you don’t know what you’re doing.

2 – Proof read your essay before submitting it. Make sure that what you are saying is what you actually want to be saying. Nothing gives away a rush job like an incoherent essay.

3 – Make sure that you use the right word. There are all kinds of homophones out there waiting to be misused. Don’t fall for them. ‘Poll’ is not the same as ‘pole’ which is not the same as ‘Pole.’ Not only are such mistakes embarrassing in hindsight, but they also display a lack of attention to detail and are frequently a good sign that the writer doesn’t really know much about what they are writing about.

4 – You aren’t Dickens - so don’t write like him. Though they may be tempting, avoid artificially long and complex sentences. While these guys may juice your word count they also make the essay harder to read (and many times there are also issues on the execution front). Clarity is essential. If the grader can’t read the essay it doesn’t matter that you managed to squeeze in a few extra words.

5 – Make sure that your essay is the required length. If the assigned essay is to be five pages long then it should be five pages long. Though reasonable graders will usually accept some flexibility around the edges, being 20% or 30% over or under is asking for trouble. The worst part about mistakes of this nature is that they are pretty easy to avoid. Before you even submit your essay you know how long your essay is and how long it should be. Make sure that these two things match.

6 – If the assignment requires that you use a certain number of scholarly sources then use at least that number of scholarly sources. Failure to meet the basic requirements as outlined in the assignment is a great way to lose points. Oh, and while you’re at it, why not trying using a standard citation format?

7 – An unsubstantiated fact or direct quote without a source isn’t worth very much these days. It is essential that you cite the sources of your information. Not only will this help you avoid charges of plagiarism, but it will also help you strengthen your position. And if you have done the work why not demonstrate that this is the case?

8 – Avoid repetition. Graders know if you are just saying the same thing again and again. And it gets old fast.

9 – Don’t write with your thesaurus. In my experience overuse of one word is almost always better than the misuse of several words. If you would like a larger vocabulary, always a laudable goal, try hitting your dictionary in the off-season so you are ready to go come essay writing season.

10 – Don’t underestimate the intelligence of the person grading your essay. If it is a rush job they will know. If you don’t know what you are talking about they will know. And there’s a good chance they will be able to tell if you have claimed a professional’s writing as your own.

Bonus Tip – And maybe this is the most important one, start early and do the work. It will show.